The cause of death of a Thai man on a return flight from Saudi Arabia was still inconclusive and further examination was needed, the Disease Control Department said on Monday.
The department said 71-year-old Bahaem Saesoh and four relatives left on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia on Nov 27, and were booked to fly home on Saturday.
The man suffered from asthma. He had received two Covid-19 vaccine shots, but no booster.
Three days before the return trip, the man showed symptoms of asthma and developed a cough. He was given medicine to relieve the symptoms.
On Dec 10, before boarding a Thai Airways flight from Jeddah to Bangkok he suffered from exhaustion and was taken onboard the aircraft in a wheelchair.
During the flight, a passenger sitting next to him noticed his head was drooping and notified cabin staff. Crew members and a foreign nurse who was a passenger performed CPR on him and used a defibrillator, but the man died.
Further examination of the body would be made to establish the actual cause of death.
